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23. During the year consideration was given to the possibility of arranging
for cases to be placed under statutory supervision upon the discharge of the orders
detaining such cases in certified institutions or placing them under guardianship.
Upon this point the opinion of the Board of Control was sought. The Board expressed
the view that the course indicated could be followed only if a defective were "subject
to be dealt with" at the time of the discharge of the Order, independently of the
ground upon which the order discharged had been made. It would seem, therefore,
that, except in special cases, a defective on leave of absence from a certified institution
with a view to discharge must either remain on licence for an indefinite period
or be freed from the order for detention and the reafter afforded friendly (i.e., nonstatutory)
visitation.
Supervision
of cases
discharged
from institutional
care or
guardianship.
Provision of occupation and industrial centres.
24. The use of "occupation centres," i.e., centres organised by voluntary effort
with financial assistance from the Council and the Board of Control, which mentally
defective children who are unfit for attendance at special schools may attend otherwise
than compulsorily for simple occupational training, details of which are given
in the Annual Reports for 1923 (Vol. II., pp. 19-21) and 1924 (Vol. II., pp. 27-28)
has been continued during 1928.
Continuation
of the
scheme of
"occupation
centres."
25. The following table gives particulars of the centres of which use has been
made by the Council during the year, and of attendances made thereat by "recognised"
cases, i.e., by defectives who are under statutory supervision and are not
more than 16 years old (or, in some special cases, 18 years). These are the cases
for whom the centres are primarily intended, and in respect of whom the Council
makes a financial contribution to the expenses of the centres, and at least 75 per
cent. of the places available at each centre are reserved for such cases. The centres
are under the management of the London Association for Mental Welfare, except
the "Agnes Western," and Willesden centres, which are controlled by the Central
Association for Mental Welfare and the Willesden Association for the Care of the
Mentally Defective respectively; but all arrangements (including the financial
arrangements) in respect of the "Agnes Western" centre are made for convenience
through the London Association. The Willesden centre provides for children residing
outside the London county area, but it has been found convenient for a few isolated
London cases to attend there, and the figures as to Willesden given in the table
relate only to these cases
Centres in
use, and
attendances.